The Scavenger and the Cubone
by ArSommers
Summary: AU: When Rey encounters a Cubone Pokemon, she learns that they have more in common than she expected. Set before TFA. One-shot.
1. Chapter 1

A metallic clank roused Rey from her sleep. The scavenger was on her feet in seconds, her eyes adjusting to the darkness in her hollowed AT-AT home. She did, after all, live on Jakku, and theft in this area wasn't uncommon. Picking up her staff as a form of protection, Rey quietly eased her way to the other end of her home to find a wild Cubone wandering about.

Rey lowered her staff, still partially hidden by one of the metal compartments. Her knowledge of Pokemon was minimal at best- those who lived on Jakku didn't have the luxury of being trainers- but she knew this type of Pokemon wasn't considered a large threat. Still, this was an unwelcome guest, so Rey reached into her pouch and pulled out a half-empty bottle of Repel.

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave," she said sternly as she walked out of the shadows. "If you do not, I will have to use this,"

But instead of scampering like she'd imagined, the Cubone gave Rey a pleading look.

"Listen," Rey said as her resolve began to falter, "I'm barely getting by, and I hardly even have enough food for myself. I have nothing I can offer,"

The cold desert wind blew against the metal of the AT-AT in response, sending eerie reverberations throughout the entrapment.

"Except shelter," Rey said, more to herself than to Cubone. "I guess I can offer that. But surely you must have family?"

Cubone pressed one of his paws against the skull, reminding Rey of an important fact: _Cubones' wear the skulls of their dead mothers._

"I'm sorry," Rey said. "I know what that's like, being without parents,"

Even with the mask covering most of his head, Rey could see a look of understanding cross over Cubone's face. Kneeling down on one knee as she pocked the Repel, Rey asked, "Do you not have anywhere to go?" Cubone shook his head.

Rey sighed. She couldn't just banish the poor creature back into the wild, especially on a cold night such as this, but the creature couldn't stay with her either. Scavenging was a rough life, and if Unkar Plutt ever caught wind of the Pokemon, he'd more than likely sell it to the person who was wiling to pay the highest price.

"All right," Rey said. "Let's come up with a plan in the morning. You can stay here until then," The Cubone smiled in gratitude and gave her a pat of thanks on her boot.


	2. Chapter 2

A savvy Jakku scavenger takes advantage of the dawn, for it is the time of day where there is not only light, but also a lingering coolness from the night before. This had been ingrained in Rey as a child, and she was pleasantly surprised to learn Cubone held the same beliefs. So while she ate her morning portion, Cubone satisfied himself with a lizard he'd caught lingering inside the AT-AT.

"I have to say, this is a bit of a win-win," Rey commented. "You have breakfast while I have one less pest to worry about," Cubone nodded in agreement, giving his tail a little wag as he took another bite.

"I'll need to go look through the ruins today," Rey continued, "But once I come home we can try to figure something out for you,"

Shoving the remainder of the lizard in his mouth, Cubone hopped to his feet.

"What are you saying?" Rey asked, wishing Pokemon had some sort of understandable dialect. Cubone gave a gentle tug on her draped cloth. "Are you saying you want to come with me?" Cubone nodded. "I don't know if that's such a good idea," Rey said. "There can be a lot of climbing involved, and I don't want to see you get hurt,"

Trying to prove a point, Cubone scampered to the side, scaled some jagged junk Rey had stacked in a corner, and then leapt off the pile and gracefully landed on his feet.

"That was good," Rey admitted after a moment. In the long run, perhaps it was safer if she didn't leave Cubone alone. Besides, Cubone was a wild Pokemon. He'd live in the desert; for all she knew, he could have lived in an old Imperial machine as well at some point.

"Very well. If you'd like to come with me today, I guess there's no point in arguing,"


	3. Chapter 3

Rey felt strange having a companion while she scavenged. At first she'd considered this a distraction from her duties, as she was constantly checking over her shoulder to make sure Cubone was nearby or safe. But after a few hours the discomfort began to ease as she learned to tune her ears to listen for the Pokemon's echoing footsteps when they were inside the remains of battleships. When they crossed the dunes, however, Rey made sure the Pokemon was by her side, as it was impossible to hear his footsteps in the sand.

Cubone hadn't helped too much in the way of scavenging, though he seemed to enjoy the exploration aspect. Once he even volunteered to crawl in a small air duct to look for items, though he wasn't able to find anything of value.

It wasn't until near the end of the day that Rey found herself in a spot of trouble.

Rey knew it was dangerous for a human, alien, or droid to go into the wild without the protection of Pokemon, but scavengers were not Pokemon trainers, and therefore most of them did not have Pokemon of their own. While most wild Pokemon on Jakku were skittish and ran at first sight, some stood their ground. Rey knew of cases were scavengers were hurt in the desert because of lack of protection. Some even died. That was why Unkar Plutt offered Repel (as well as portions) in exchange for valued good scrounged from the bowels of the desert. But when push came to shove, a scavenger was more likely to take portions over Repel. The Pokemon item may or may not be needed; food, on the other hand, was essential. This was why Rey's bottle was half empty: food was a priority.

Still, when Rey came across an angry Geodude in an old cockpit, her first instinct was to use a few squirts of Repel. But before she could even point the bottle at Geodude, Cubone sprang in front of her.

"Careful Cubone, that-"

Flinging the bone that Cubone always carried, he smacked Geodude on the face. Geodude blinked in surprise, then punched Cubone in the shoulder. Giving a determined growl, Cubone headbutted hs opponent. Drained from the attack, Geodude hopped out the window and back into the wild from which it came.

Rey rushed forward. "Are you hurt?" she asked Cubone, who replied with a shrug. He seemed to be okay overall.

 _Is Cubone's type effective against Geodudes?_ Rey wondered. She made a mental note to ask around next time she was at the Niima Outpost.

"You did an amazing job," Rey complimented. "You handled that battle like a pro," Cubone balled his little hands into fists and made a mock boxing pose. Even Rey had to smile at that.

"Let's get you back to my home," she said. "I'll bandage up your wound there,"


	4. Chapter 4

Rey wasn't sure if Pokemon needed bandages after a battle, but Cubone was favoring the spot where he'd been hit on the shoulder, so she decided it couldn't hurt. Taking some of the extra wraps she used on her own arms, Rey had Cubone sit down as she wound the gauze around him.

"It may be easier if I removed what you're wearing on your head," Rey said, referring to the skull. Placing her hands on each side, Rey began to lift it. "If I could just-"

With a surprising amount of strength, Cubone pulled the skull back down and gave a sad whine.

"O-Okay," Rey said. "We'll leave that on then,"

It was harder to bandage Cubone with the jagged skull on, but she was able to complete the task. After a quick dinner both decided it was time to rest. Their discussion about Cubone's future could wait another day.

While Rey was able to doze off almost instantaneously, Cubone found his mind harder to shut down. If only his mother and father were around to see him battle today, they would have been so proud! Cubone sighed and tried readjusting himself in hopes of sleeping, but nothing seemed to work. After three hours of this he decided to climb atop the AT-AT and stare at the night sky. Sometimes looking at the vastness of it all reminded him of the bigger picture in life, and that he was not alone.

Cubone's footsteps on the upended AT-AT awoke Rey. When she saw that Cubone wasn't in the corner where he fell asleep, Rey grabbed her staff and went outside to investigate the noise, only to find the Pokemon sitting on the rooftop. Hoisting herself onto the top of the AT-AT, Rey sat next to Cubone and let her feet dangle off the side. They sat in silence for a few minutes simply looking at the stars.

"I can't begin to imagine what you've been through," Rey finally said. "But I know what it's like to be without family. It's hurt, confusion, and pain all rolled into a ball that settles in your stomach and spreads to your heart. But I've learned that you can't let that define who you are. You have to keep moving forward, and know that things will get better in time. Because that is one thing nobody can take away from you: hope,"

Cubone nodded and made a noise to confirm his understanding.

"Until my parents return I won't be going anywhere." Rey continued. "So if you'd like to stay with me until we figure out a plan, I'd be more than happy to have you as a guest,"

Cubone leaned against Rey as a gesture of thanks, and then rested his head on her side. Caught off guard by his reaction, Rey suddenly found herself fighting a lump in her throat. So this is what having an emotional connection with another being felt like.


	5. Chapter 5

"Keep close," Rey told Cubone as they entered the Niima Outpost. "There are many here who only see Pokemon in terms of profit, and Unkar Plutt is one of them. I wish I didn't have to deal with him, but he single-handedly inspects salvaged items and exchanges them for portions,"

Just as Rey expected, Cubone was the first thing Unkar Plutt noticed. "What's this?" he asked. "You got yourself a Pokemon now girl?"

"A visitor," Rey said. She didn't want to tell him that Cubone had no trainer.

"Seems mighty nervous," Unkar Plutt noted. He wasn't wrong: Cubone was practically clinging to Rey's leg.

"He's not used to being around so many strangers,"

Unkar Plutt scoffed. "A Pokemon like that wouldn't survive around these parts," he said, not caring whether or not Cubone understood Basic. "I hope your visitor didn't travel alone. Not that it matters, a ground-type Pokemon is a dime a dozen in these parts, and a Cubone is no exception,"

Rey felt her face flush with anger. "How can you say that?" Rey asked. "Each Pokemon is unique,"

"Unique doesn't cut it in battles girl," Unkar Plutt said. "If you lived anywhere else in the galaxy you'd know that,"

Rey finished her transaction and left in a huff. She knew if she continued the conversation any longer she'd say something she'd regret, and Rey didn't want to bite the hand that literally fed her.

"Pay no attention to Unkar Plutt," Rey said to Cubone as they walked back to her AT-AT. "He doesn't see Pokemon or people as individuals, only a collective business,"

A screech in the distance jerked Rey and Cubone's heads to the left. A wild Sandshrew had appeared, and with Unkar Plutt's words fresh in his mind Cubone was all to ready to prove himself in another battle.

"Wait!" Rey shouted as Cubone charged at Sandshrew, but it was too late. The Pokemon exchanged a few rounds, but after a couple sharp swipes from Sandshrew Cubone toppled over onto the sand.

"CUBONE!" Rey rushed forward as Sandshrew wandered off. When she reached him Cubone lay on his back with his eyes half open. Gingerly picking him up, Rey cradled the injured Cubone in her arms.

"It'll be okay," Rey said as she wracked her brain for Pokemon knowledge. What was this state called after losing a battle? Fainting? Wasn't that what the Pokemon Centers were for, reviving them back to full health?

Rey knew what she had to do. Turning quickly on her heel, the scavenger ran back towards the Niima Outpost.


	6. Chapter 6

"I need Cubone to be healed," Rey said as soon as she entered the Pokemon Center.

"Certainly," the woman behind the counter replied. "Please bring the Pokemon here,"

Rey hesitated. "Where are you taking him?" she asked, her grip tightening protectively around Cubone.

The woman- a nurse, Rey decided- gave a kind smile. "Are you a new trainer?" the nurse asked.

"I-I'm not a trainer," Rey stammered. "This is my friend,"

"I see," The woman motioned to a machine behind her. "This is where Pokemon are healed after battle," she explained. "Unfortunately most of our equipment are older models, so we'll need to temporarily place your Pokemon in a Pokeball to complete the healing process,"

Rey still didn't want to hand Cubone over to a stranger, but she didn't see any other choice. "I'll be waiting right here on the other side of this counter," Rey promised. Cubone made a small groan and extended his arm towards her.

"I know," Rey said as she took his paw, her hand engulfing his. "I don't want to leave you either, but this is the only way to make you better again,"

"Are you ready?" the nurse asked.

"Yes," Rey nodded. Then, seeing the nametag the nurse was wearing, the scavenger added "Miss Joy,"

Rey held on tightly to Cubone's hand until he turned into a shining white light and disappeared into the Pokeball. Even as Nurse Joy walked away Rey held the pose, her hand gripping invisible air.


	7. Chapter 7

The healing process lasted only a minute. As soon as Nurse Joy removed the Pokeball from the machine she squeezed the red and white sphere, allowing Cubone out into the open. To Rey's delight Cubone appeared on both feet, fully alert and with eyes wide open.

"You had me worried there," Rey admitted as she picked Cubone up and set him on the ground.

Rey and Cubone cut through the Niima Outpost without incident. When they were a safe distance from the crowds Rey said, "You were brave back there, but don't think you ever have to battle another Pokemon to try and prove yourself. What Unkar Plutt said was despicable, but the truth is you aren't worth nothing…you're worth everything,"

Cubone paused to look at Rey, and she likewise stopped in her tracks.

"I will never be a Pokemon trainer," Rey said, "But if you would like to be my Pokemon I'd consider it an honor to live with you side by side,"

Cubone let out a squeal of excitement and leapt into Rey's arms. "I'll take that as a yes?" Rey chuckled.

Placing his tiny hands on the skull he wore, Cubone carefully lifted it off his head. This action surprised Rey; she'd never seen Cubone, or any Cubone for that matter, with his skull off. Underneath was a small brown head, and the expression on his face showed nothing but love and gratitude.

"Come on," Rey said as she wrapped the Pokemon in a warm embrace, "Let's go home,"

[The End]

[*Author note: This was intended to be a one-shot, but if inspiration hits and there's a sequel or spinoff I'll update this chapter. Thanks again for the story follows and favs!]


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